


South by Southeast

by Zarfe



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-14
Updated: 2013-01-14
Packaged: 2017-11-25 11:00:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/638193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zarfe/pseuds/Zarfe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Gabe gets a warning during dinner, he and Mark begin a trip following clues into New Mexico. They end up in the desert, a cabin, a bed and breakfast, and at each other's throats all for the sake of treasure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	South by Southeast

**Author's Note:**

> Written by a New Yorker that's never been to New Mexico.

A Chinese buffet was sin for hockey players. There were so many unimaginable things in the food that putting it into their bodies would have been a defacement of everything they strived for, trained for. Their bodies were their temples, and they needed to eat accordingly. Of course they weren't saints and sometimes enjoyed the graffiti on the walls of what they had built up since young athletes. A Chinese buffet in October, though, should have been like spitting in the eye of God. Should have been, but the lock out was in full swing and Gabriel Landeskog felt like doing something naughty as he dipped his third egg roll into the duck sauce he had dabbed on his plate. He was so going to cholesterol hell for it.    

Like clockwork guys had migrated from wherever their summers had taken them, back to the cool climate of the northern United States, mainly Colorado. Of course they came back to no hockey, no rink to call their own, and dwindling paychecks that, though in the grand scheme of things were more than enough, still seemed grossly limited. Gabe was fresh out of his rookie year and just named captain, so he couldn't pull many of the strings other captains did around the league to secure them a rink and times to get all of the players together to practice. What he could do was call everyone in town and offer to buy them lunch. Paying a flat rate per person and letting them all eat their fills lessened the fortune he would have spent elsewhere. He was sure that the waiters and waitresses, along with the other patrons of the fine establishment in the mall, were wishing Captain Landy had gotten a bigger paycheck in his debut year because the group of ten or so men had been terrorizing the location for close to an hour.

They were on their fortune cookies, the bill paid, when Ryan O'Reilly burst into laughter. It took him several seconds to relax, passing the little slip of paper from the cookie off to Shane O'Brien who, in turn, started to chuckle. Finally biting, Steve Downie interjected into the laughter that was slowly making its way around the table.

"What's so funny?" He asked, not intending to wait for the fortune to get to him before sharing the joke. Ryan had shoved half the cookie into his mouth before answering, not caring at all that his mouth was full.

"Says 'You will achieve the greatest successes you've been dreaming of...'" 

  "In bed," Shane added on, which sent more of the guys into light laughter. It was a common game, but Ryan decided that more context was needed for the real joke.

"I've been trying to get these twins. Hottest things I've ever seen. They keep doing that stupid handbag shit where they go to the club together, all dressed up, probably no panties either. Start dancing around their damn purses like guys were throwing singles at them! I swear, biggest cock teases ever! Maybe this means my menage a trois dreams are within my grasp! Thank you oh Chinese mystic fortune cookie gods! My life has meaning again!" He had shoved the rest of the cookie in his mouth as he elaborated, bringing more braying from the group. Those nearest to him clapped Ryan on the back, offering their words of encouragement. The married guys just laughed. This, however, brought about a new round of antics as in turn they read their fortunes aloud, adding choruses of "in bed" and "with Stat's mom" to the ends. When it was Gabe's turn he cracked his open, shoving half in his mouth as he read the paper to himself.

"Leave the city now. Tell no one," it read in happy blue font. Gabe's brows furrowed and he glanced around briefly. The hesitation didn't go unnoticed, and the others urged Gabe to read it. With quick thinking, and a bit of better safe than sorry mentality, Gabe switched his with another one on the table. He put on his best dejected face as he read it.

"'You will achieve the greatest success you've been dreaming of.' Guess that means I get to share in Ryan's twin fantasy, right?" He successfully defused suspicion with the new round of laughter that erupted and left Ryan frowning heavily.

"Like hell you do! That's my success, not yours! Get your own!" To accent his point, Ryan stood, stealing the second half to Gabe's cookie and munching on it as he shrugged on his coat. Shane followed suit and then Steve. The not so light lunch was coming to a close, and not a moment too soon. Gabe had slid the piece of paper into his pocket, not intending to follow the words but to check the paper again. He would be lying if he wasn't at least intrigued about the rather straightforwardness of the fortune.

Good byes were short, 'see you later's and 'til next time's were exchanged and Gabe walked slowly to the car. He and Mark Olver had driven together. They were staying relatively closely enough (if in the same hotel was close enough) and Gabe had been interested in getting Mark's take on his driving skills. He was rewarded with a few white knuckle turns and some very judgmental sighs when Gabe crawled along at one or two under the speed limit, but all in all he wasn't reminded every minute that he was a terrible driver and Mark hadn't asked him to pull over so he could drive, so Gabe considered it a victory. As they left the buffet Gabe twirled his keys around his finger and looked at the fortune. He turned it over, looking at the reverse where they usually put silly Mandarin saying like duck and flower. Instead of the usual set up of word in the Roman alphabet, the Chinese symbols, and lastly the translation, there were just three words in the Roman alphabet. A little pathetically Gabe mouthed them, trying to sound them out and wondering if they made any sense. They didn't and Gabe was sure neither in Swedish, let alone English, were letter groupings allowed to be like they were on the back of the fortune.

"Hey Olvs," Gabe said, unlocking the doors to the car as they neared. "Wanna go for a drive?" It looked like the thought of being stuck in a car longer than necessary with the captain was a mortifying one by the way Mark stared at him with a mixed look that screamed both "You've got to be kidding" and "He is kidding, right?" Gabe shrugged a little and smiled, twirling the keys once more. "Come on, could be fun. Get out of the city for a little." Mark remained paused with his hand on the door handle, glancing around to see if maybe he could bum a ride with someone else. There was no such luck since the lot was devoid of any other player's car. Instead he tried for a different plan, pretending he needed to get home.

"Well, yeah, sounds fun, but I really don't have the time. Y'know, got stuff to do... Kinda been putting it off."

"Like what?" Gabe called the bluff with a smile, leaning against the car. The choked silence was all Gabe needed. "C'mon, let's just go for a little. Promise I'll get you back before sundown." He chuckled, obviously proud of himself in some way for defeating the poorly constructed lie Mark tried to fabricate on the spot. With an audible sigh Mark got in as well.

"Where're we going?" He asked Gabe who was still grinning as he started the car. At first he put the car in drive, jerking it forward toward another car before slamming on the breaks, making Mark lunge against the seatbelt. He sent a displeased and pretty annoyed look Gabe's way as the younger man put the car in reverse with a half-hearted "oops" and pulled out of the spot. Navigating the streets and trying to take it a little easier (which resulted in driving even slower than he was previously which put them at a pathetic 50 miles per hour) Gabe got them to the highway and just started driving, as the fortune had told him, out of the city.

The music softly coming from the speakers was the only sound in the car for about a half an hour before Mark became restless. He had done quite enough watching of cars speeding past them and wanted a better idea of why they were leaving the city.

"So where are we going?" He asked again, getting a light shrug and grin from Gabe. It did little to improve his mood.

"Dunno," was all Gabe offered up as he dug into his pocket. Mark usually prided himself in being even-tempered, easy to comply and get along with because rocking the boat was not something he wanted to do. Unfortunately, his new captain was probably the only person on the team he wasn't exactly fond of. Actually, Mark was pretty sure he was the only person in the world not exactly fond of Gabriel. It wasn't that Gabe actually did anything, since Gabe had been nothing but extremely nice and pleasant to him any time he was called up to the Avalanche, but it was more about everything Gabe stood for. He was perfect when Mark really felt anything but on a daily basis. The second overall pick in the car with a three-time draft attendee. It should have been a premise for a sitcom.

"What do you mean you don't know? I thought you were the one driving." It wasn't a joke but still Gabe chuckled and smiled over. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the fortune, holding it out toward Mark as he continued to smile. Still attempting to hide the annoyance on his face, Mark grabbed the paper, looking at it. He hadn't been sure what to expect. Reading a fortune when trying to figure out where they were going just seemed stupid, but asking Gabe for an explanation seemed a lot more foolish than just reading it and trying to figure out what he was getting at. The annoyance dulled slightly when he read it the first time but peaked again with the second read.

"Really?" Mark insisted, holding it out again toward Gabe, returning the paper to him. "You know it says to not tell anyone. Kinda wish it was something you kept to yourself." He returned to staring out the window grumpily, hoping Gabe would eventually deduce the fortune had been suggesting something like 'get out of the city and enjoy nature', not a secret message to save him.

"Well good thing I didn't tell you then. You read it all on your own." He spared glances over at Mark and even some down at the slip of paper, but he kept his eyes on the road for the most part. It wasn't too busy for the middle of the day so he basically just cruised in the center lane. He agreed that just leaving the city was sort of a vague request, but there was something that kept drawing him to the back of the fortune. He tried to sound out the words again but just ended up making himself look like a fool. With a chuckle at his own stupidity, he handed the paper to Mark again who took it after a long look at Gabe.

"It has some stuff on the back. Think maybe a hint of where we're supposed to go?" Mark looked at the paper, also attempting to pronounce the words but doing them in his head to not give Gabe any satisfaction. "Maybe they're Chinese? Do you have a translator on your…"

"They're scrambled," Mark said evenly, mixing the letters to make words. "First one is 'south'. Maybe the direction you should be heading. Or 'thous' or 'shout' but I'm guessing that doesn't really make sense." There was little humor in his voice but for once in the trip he was on board with the idea of a little adventure, even hypothetically. "Should probably get over to Route 25. That'll run as south as we can go." Gabe smiled, moving to an exit and pulling off to correct their path. Mark had actually settled in, trying to decipher the words, which was a nice distraction from being mortified of Gabe's driving skills. 

A few hours later the radio had found it's way on to a country station and Mark had figured out a few options for the remaining words. He had dug a pen and paper out of the glove box and used a book from the back seat as a table to hash out a list.

"The last word is definitely 'Inn'," he said, which wasn't a revelation. That had been the easiest part of the word jumble, but the second set of letters was longer and more cumbersome. Looking at what he composed, most of them were nonsense. He had 'dent nile re', 'reed nile nt', 'tree line nd', and many other variations. He had decided to keep 'tree', working with the remaining letters to make something work. When he finally came to his discovery he felt stupid for letting it take so long.  
"Linden Tree Inn was what I finally got." Mark thought it was kind of cheating on the Game Master's part for jumbling two words together, but for the theme of a fortune it was a little ingenious. He wondered how someone like Gabe was supposed to figure it out. It was either a horrible mistake getting him involved or a luck game that he had just fallen into. Mark fished his phone out of his pocket, pulling up Google and typing it in.

"What's a Linden Tree?" Gabe asked, glancing over at the paper that had the final answer circled. Of course he was more interested in what it meant than where that was and where they were heading, something that irked Mark more than he thought it probably should have. He seemed more interested in the journey than the destination.

"A tree they make furniture from," Mark responded curtly, clicking a link with his finger and seeing where the inn was. He was proven right when the address came up as a town in New Mexico. He groaned, looking at the younger man.

"Gabe, it's in New Mexico. Can we please stop this? Go back; forget about it? I mean, you can't really think it was a secret message given to you, right?"

"Come on! Where's your sense of adventure?" Mark's head flopped back onto the headrest, an audible groan coming from his lips. He didn't have a sense of adventure. He had a sense of being around the city, of working out and talking to his agent and getting ready for his season as a Monster. He figured Gabe would have his own problems to deal with, but apparently he didn't. He had time to go treasure hunting, chasing ghosts that spoke through fortune cookies. "How far are we from that Inn?" Begrudgingly Mark worked his phone to get it into the GPS. When he saw how long, he was really hoping Gabe would reconsider.

"Five hours. C'mon, this isn't worth it."

"That's not that far. C'mon, it could be interesting! Aren't you at least curious? I mean that word scramble was right up your alley. Didn't you enjoy it? And, really, I'd still be driving east if it weren’t for you. Driving east and trying to translate those from Chinese." Well, Gabe did have a point. Mark was the kind of guy to do the puzzles in the newspaper-- all of them. He was pretty good at them, all things considered, and it did feel like an accomplishment to find them a destination. Plus Gabe was more than useless when it came to those sorts of things and if he was planning on continuing he would need all the help he could get. Mark wanted to groan. He had just got sweet talked into continuing their misguided adventure and he hated himself for it.

"Fine, you win, but just because you'd be hopeless without me and if I abandoned you I'd kill my chances to make the team full time." Gabe chuckled, shaking his head. He'd never let personal grudges affect his captaincy, but he had a feeling Mark already knew that. He liked the other man, thought he was smart both on and off the ice, but he was way too uptight for his age. He sounded like a forty year old with how much he told Gabe that the whole idea was stupid. He couldn't just enjoy the hilarity of it all. Out of anyone that could have picked that cookie it had been him, and Mark had just so happened to be along for the ride. None of the other guys would have figured out the clues at all, let alone so fast. Most of them would have just shrugged it off like Mark but at least Mark was caving.

"At least pull over and let me drive then, please," The older man meant it. It was bad enough being on a five-hour trip, but to do it at the speed limit was just brutal. With a chuckle Gabe conceded, promising to at the next pull off.

Mark felt terrible that he secretly hoped that there wouldn't be anything waiting for them when they got to the hotel. It was one thing to drive out to New Mexico with just a clue, realize it was nothing and drive back. Mark could stand losing a day to the whim of the captain, but to get there and find another clue would mean more than a day. The hints on the back of the fortune were easy enough but Mark had a feeling that if things progressed then they would only get harder from then on out. Vaguely he remembered Gabe having mentioned a fascination with survivalist shows, with television like The Amazing Race and similar topics where people experienced a real life game, and Mark had a few possibly premature worries that he had gotten in over his head already.

It was just touching evening when they got to a good sized house, a pleasant sign by the curb that told them they had arrived at the Linden Tree Inn. It seemed very homey and Mark's perception New Mexico was put in jeopardy. It seemed like something he would see out East in a pleasant suburb, not the hot southwestern United States. The din of conversation they had been holding had ceased when they pulled up to the establishment and an air of anxiety filled where words once were. Mark had been pretty sure there would be nothing for them when they got there but a confused hostess. He figured they'd rent rooms for the night and by noon they'd be back in Denver. His hopes had lessened and they hadn't even gone inside yet.

"Got a feel to it, doesn't it?" Gabe asked softly, looking at Mark who only nodded and offered a weak "yeah". Alone neither man would have worried about the intuition tug at their guts, but together it amounted to more than just a feeling. Gabe flashed a grin over, reaching for the handle once they were parked in the small parking lot. There were several cars there already and Mark was sure by the size of the building that most of them were guests and that the building was pretty full. They exited the vehicle and Mark took to looking at the other license plates. None of them were from New Mexico, which added to his assumption. Collecting themselves and trying to clear the air of awkwardness that still seemed to be messing with them, they went toward the house.

A bell jingled on the door as Gabe opened it. For a place that seemed so fear inducing from the outside, the inside was cozy and nicely decorated, albeit a little tacky. It was obviously a bed and breakfast and Mark hadn't had to read the business review of it to have known that. There was a nice mixture of hard wood and rug, and for the amount of cars outside seemed quiet.

"Hello?" Gabe called as politely as he could but still caused Mark to jump, which drew a glair out of the older man. Gabe chuckled, grinning at Mark and looked only a little apologetic. Mark was sure even that little bit was false. He didn't have time to say so, however, because a middle aged woman walked into the room. She smiled at them politely, dusting her hands off on a towel.

"Can I help you?" Her voice was sweet with a hint of a western accent to it. Mark had no interest in talking to her, still not over the bad vibe of the place. Gabe didn't seem to have the same problem, though, previous anxiety obviously forgotten.

"Yeah, this may seem silly, but was anything left here by chance? A note or directions or something?" The woman looked at him quizzically, almost as if she wasn't sure what he was talking about. That seemed silly because they were pretty sure a woman that worked there would know if something was left there with the mention that someone random would come looking for it. That or someone with Gabe's description that was kind of hard to miss. 

"Well, do you know who was supposed to leave it for you, honey?" Gabe put on a great sheepish face at that, shrugging just a little so it was still considered polite.

"No, I'm sorry. We've been kinda following clues all day. Last one lead us here, was just thinking that maybe there would be something left for us." She smiled again, a little softer that almost looked apologetic. Almost because Mark was pretty sure there was a hint of mischievousness in it as well. If it was all a big ruse to get the little B and B some guests, then he was planning on being royally pissed. Instead the woman moved over to the little desk that served as the check in counter. It had been ingeniously placed out of the way and they hadn't even noticed the bell sitting on top of it until she drew attention to it with only her presence. They obviously hadn't needed to call out after all.

"Well, if that's the case, then I might actually have something for you." She was smiling still and Mark found that just a little annoying. Her pulling out a room key heightened it. He wasn't going to argue that taking a break from the traveling wasn't a tempting offer, but the idea that a room was their prize lent credibility to the idea that they were being had. "I was asked to hold this room until someone came asking for it. You didn't ask for it specifically, but it sounds about right, so I think it would be okay if I gave it to you." Mark spoke up then, more than a little annoyed at the whole thing.

"Is that it? A free room?" The woman laughed pleasantly, shaking her head no.

"Of course not! I've been getting paid monthly to hold that room until someone looking for it came by. I mean you are looking for a room, right? Would be real helpful if you said yes. After dinner I'll be more than happy to give you the rest of what was left for the person looking for a room." She accented the last few words and Gabe was more than happy to fall for her trickery. He smiled wide and told her that they were, indeed, looking for a room, preferably one being held for them. She smiled back at that, clenching the key in her fist and gestured toward the stairs. They followed her to the second floor and to a room with a shiny gold number 4. She unlocked it for them, opening it wide to reveal a plain room. There wasn't much to note about it: a single four post bed, a small tube TV, linden wood dresser, cabinet and nightstand. There was a bathroom attached to it that looked pristine. Both men moved into the room when the woman entered. She pointed out the amenities, telling them where the remote was and what to do if they needed new towels.

"My name's Anna, by the way," she added helpfully, keeping things pleasant. "That's usually the first thing I say, but you two kinda shocked me when you were asking if there was anything for you here. Hope that doesn't offend you." Gabe was quick to tell her there was no offense at all, Mark mimicking the sentiment. For the fear they had felt outside, the woman and the inn were having the total opposite effect. They then introduced themselves and shook hands with her and were soon being made right at home. "Dinner's gunna be in an hour, so in the mean time make yourselves comfortable." She gave the key to them before moving to leave. Mark caught her just as she got to the doorway.

"You wouldn't happen to have a cot or anything, would you?" He gestured at the single bed as if the question should have been an obvious one. There were two of them, and not even should there have been a thought in her mind that they were going to sleep together because it was a double at best. They weren't huge, but they would be sleeping on each other. Anna got a pretty sheepish look on her face, nodding at the bed before looking at Mark.

"I was wondering that myself," she commented almost absently, hand on the doorknob and head craned back to look. "You see, this is a couple's retreat, so I'm usually pretty against anything to separate them when there are problems. I mean nothing solves spats like waking up with your arm around the person you vowed your life to, right?" It was rhetorical and she got out of the room before turning to face them fully. "I'll have my husband check if we have any and we'll let you boys know, okay?" Mark thanked her and she smiled at them as she shut the door. He sighed vocally as he turned back, looking at Gabe who had already towed off his shoes and was flopping onto the bed with a wide grin. Mark didn't return the look.

"You promised I'd be home tonight," Mark said accusingly. Gabe looked a little audacious at that, also a little playful which Mark wasn't in the mood for. Gabe folded his hands and rested back on the massive amounts of pillows that were stacked on the bed. Mark rolled his eyes and finally let himself relax, stretching his arms above his head to stretch out as he walked around the small room. He was taking his time, looking at things. He wasn't thrilled to be spending the night at a couples retreat house with his newly appointed captain that was almost half a decade younger than him, but anything was better than being stuck in the car. He was even willing to brave the company of troubled, or "troubled" couples if it meant a break from being a passenger or driver.

"You gotta relax," Gabe said, not really a command or an offer, but more of an offhanded comment he made while getting comfortable himself on the only bed in the room. With a bit of a huff Mark joined him. He kicked off his shoes, flopping back as well. They sat in silence on the large pillows, legs crossing themselves at the ankles and eyes shut. There were a few moments when they both edged toward sleep on their respective sides, but when it came time for the dinner bell to ring, neither man was shocked awake. Mark groaned just slightly and ran his hands over his face. Gabe just got up, lethargic and heavy, taking a few stiff steps toward the bathroom and closing the door over. At first Mark didn't get out of the bed, contemplated not getting up at all and actually getting under the covers and throwing some pillows to the floor, but they were guests, and for how bitter he was, he was still polite.

The bell never came again and when they got back down the stairs they just followed the sound of voices to a dinning room. It was a pretty crowded room, what they would assume to be a full house. The table was sat man-woman-man, obviously couples sat next to couples. Mark and Gabe didn't even have to speak to share feelings of hesitation entering the room. There was laughter, and it seemed like a generally cheerful atmosphere, but something seemed off. Possibly it was the way that just a few people noticed them at first. Then there were a few more. Soon enough there were ten sets of eyes on them. Anna wasn't in the room, probably in the kitchen filling some empty plate or bowl with more food to be returned to the table, and so they were left to their own devices.

"Hi," Gabe said, putting on the smile that was probably the reason for global warming, holding his hand up in a salute to the room. Mark wouldn't say it broke the ice, but there was a crack in it when a man probably in his thirties responded with "And who the hell are you?" He was promptly ribbed by what they would guess was his wife sitting on his left. Even though the woman seemed to teach her husband a lesson with that, the sentiment was still through out the room. It was a good question, so Mark didn't reply. It was unnerving enough to be looked at so directly by so many people.

"Well, I'm Gabe. This is Mark. We're here for some couple’s therapy." Gabe reached out to link his arm with Mark's, the older man just standing thunderstruck. All right, no-- no way was he going to let that pass.

"No, we're not!" He said pretty directly, unsure if he should be glaring at the couples or at Gabe. He settled on just looking pissed off in general, trying to unlatch Gabe's arm from his own. The younger man just laughed, making a big show of rolling his eyes and let Mark go with just a shrug.

"See what I mean? It's so hard being a gay couple and he gets so nervous when we bring it up to people we don't know. Gets so defensive and denies it. That's why we needed this getaway, to get more comfortable with each other and get to understand our fears better." Several members of the group were obviously moved by what was said. Some of them tried not to look annoyed and displeased about the idea of gays sharing their B and B experienced, and some of them were Mark who was going to drag Gabe back up to their room and beat him to death with his shoe. Instead he took to just gritting his teeth and hoping beyond anything that Gabe would drop dead right there. He didn't bother to try to argue it further, just walked over and sat next to the woman that had ribbed her husband earlier. She smiled at him, turning slightly to look at him. Gabe took a seat next to Mark, the man on his left obviously not too fond of the idea of a gay man being next to him. Gabe did a stellar job of ignoring it though, just smiling around as he admired the food spread.

"This looks delicious," He commented before starting to help himself. Slowly normalcy began to return to the table, but that didn't mean that they didn't start getting questions. At first they started harmless-- well, as harmless as questions about their fake gay relationship could be while Mark tried not to touch his silverware for fear he'd put a fork into Gabe's eye. It was mostly the women, but even some of the men seemed not to mind their faux relationship. They asked how they met, what they did for livings, where they were from. They even went so far as to ask who was wearing the pants in the relationship. In his first smart move of the day, Gabe gave Mark that title, even letting him be the breadwinner in the make believe land. The woman next to Mark more than once touched him, saying things such as "I'm sure it must be so difficult!" and "You're lucky you have such a caring and understanding boyfriend! Or is he your husband?" Mark didn't answer, didn't look anyone in the eyes, but Gabe fielded the questions without missing a beat or letting his smile drop.

Dessert was a slice of pie with ice cream on it and both Mark and Gabe passed it over. They excused themselves, both telling Anna that the food was delicious before retreating to their room. Once there, Mark came undone.

"A fucking gay couple? Really? Really Gabe?" Gabe could only laugh, getting the remote and flopping into a sitting chair, turning on the television. He looked proud of himself, which only succeeded in making Mark madder. He couldn't believe what he was being forced through. He tried to counter Gabe's story but the Swede had the people wrapped around his finger. If they knew, if they ever recognized either of them, then they were in serious trouble, whether actually gay or not.

"Relax! It was a pretty good story though, right? Running into each other in a rainstorm, you offering me your umbrella, love at first sight? God, those women were eating it up! Only way it could have been better was if Ryan Reynolds made an appearance!" Mark made a move as to choke his captain, teeth gritted, not finding the humor in it at all. There were so many options, so many stories they could have told that didn't involve them being a couple, them being anything! Gabe seemed to actually notice the hostility because he finally looked over at Mark, brows creased in confusion. "What? Not funny? C'mon man, it was great! A good story, and maybe some of those homophobe pricks have some sense now."

"And what was so bad about the truth?" Gabe looked appalled by the suggestion, gaping up at Mark for a few seconds like he had no clue what he was talking about. Like he made the biggest faux pas in the history of faux pas. He collected himself and grinned in disbelief at Mark.

"What, tell them we're on a treasure hunt from a clue I found in a fortune cookie during lunch that had us drive from Denver out here based on a word scramble clue? And that we're going to get another clue here from Anna that'll send us to the next point?"

"Yes!" Mark basically shouted as he threw his hands up in the air and shot back the same disbelieving look Gabe gave him. "Something like that! Or, no, exactly like that because it's the truth! The truth that you dragged me out here because you just needed to go on this stupid treasure hunt! And you're going on about our life like it's any of their damn business! If we were a couple it wouldn't have been anything like that!" Gabe's stupid grin was back, turning the remote over in his hands as he just let Mark vent.

"Are you asking me out?" He quipped. Mark made a few more menacing hand gestures at Gabe before frustratedly turning on his heels and storming off toward the bathroom.

"I'm taking a shower," he said sharply, closing the door behind him solidly. Gabe just relaxed back in the chair, taking to channel surfing and playing on his phone.

Mark was fully enjoying the time away from Gabe, even if it meant hiding out in the hot water longer than was necessary. He started with being pissed and ended with just being annoyed and tired. Traveling always had a habit of wearing him out, but to add to that his dealing with the young captain and the mental exercise of decoding the clues and he was just done with that day. When a soft knock came at the door, all Mark could manage was a low grunt. Gabe's voice came in clear, obviously having opened the door and came in.

"Anna brought up some pajamas. You gunna throw a fit if I grab your clothes so she can throw them in the wash for us?" Mark gave another indeterminable sound before a weak "sure". He followed it up with asking Gabe to check his pockets. It only took a few more seconds before the solid click of the door signaled to Mark that he was alone again. He slapped at the faucet, clicking it off and reaching out for the towel labeled "his". He ran it over his hair, down his face and then down his body. He dressed and headed out into the room and was greeted by his first good sign of the day. A cot sat open and dressed toward one wall, a couple pillows and extra blankets on top. Mark walked to it and flopped down, practically nuzzling into the pillows with the joy he had over it. If the search for the cot hadn't gone his way, Mark was certain he would have slept in the car. Gabe was chuckling from the armchair, watching the display. He was also dressed in the clothes Anna had found for them.

"You look ridiculous," Mark said about the clothes that looked too tight on the younger man. Gabe must have been bigger than whoever owned the shirt and pants because they were taught on his chest and thighs. Gabe looked down as if admiring himself, picking at the fabric on his chest.

"I dunno, think I look pretty good for a gay guy." That drew a snort from Mark, him rolling his face in the pillows again. Gabe also chuckled, prodding just a little. "Oh, come on. It was funny." Mark had to concede that yeah, maybe it was a little funny that that had been the story that had come up to explain them being at a couple's retreat. He wouldn't admit it with words but his refusal to contradict was enough to agree. He was too tired to do either. Their silence after wasn't long lasting when a knock came at the door. Gabe was the one to get up and answer it, Anna standing there with a smile on her face. She came in when Gabe offered he to. She held a piece of paper, an envelope to be exact, smiling at the two. It was obvious that that was what had been left for them, for whomever came looking for a room, but she wasn't just handing it over.

"So, I never had a gay couple come stay here. Can I say that I'm really grateful? You two really have everyone talking about what it means to be a couple in love." Gabe looked a little victorious about that, Mark just rolling his eyes and sitting up.

"You know we're not really, right?" He asked, and Anna was quick to tell them that of course she knew.

"You do this as long as I have then you get pretty good at reading people. It's obvious to me that you guys aren't, but to the other guests it isn't so much. They're pretty into the idea that a couple of guys could be going through the same thing they are. Actually, might have to hire you guys each group of new guests I have come in just so they can all get that sort of perspective." Mark was quick to tell that hell no they wouldn't accept that offer, and for once he and Gabe were on the same page. He just laughed and shook his head, but continued to smile at her. With a sigh she conceded. "Well, was worth a try."

With that, the attention fell to the envelope. She traced the edges slightly before addressing it, the obvious elephant in the room that surprisingly was much bigger and more imposing than the idea that they could have been a gay couple. Slowly she held it out to Gabe, the closest to her. Even Mark seemed to sit up straighter, a strange anticipation over the contents.

"That came with the first check and request for me to hold the room. The letter asked me not to open it and I, being the professional I am, did as I was asked. It was strange, almost like a guest had handed it to me personally for safe keeping. I just filed it away, but I guess I never really forgot about it. It was just kind of a curious thing really, but I stuck to my word and left it alone. So, you wouldn't mind letting me see it, would you?" Mark, surprisingly, was the first to tell her that they wouldn't mind at all. Gabe quickly echoed the sentiments, drawing his thumb to the fold where it was glued shut. He hesitated like that, looking at it. There wasn't anything remarkable about it, just a thick white envelope with something thin in it, but he still couldn't really get himself to crack it. After a couple seconds he looked at Mark.

"You wanna?" He asked, but Mark quickly shook his head no.

"No way, this is your sacred mission, not mine. You can get poisoned if it's a trap." It wasn't really meant as a joke but it still had everyone cracking smiles. Gabe took a breath and started to tear it open. Seconds later he pulled out a note card, looking at one side and then the other. Mark had gotten up, approaching and accepting the card when Gabe held it out to him. All that was on there were a few strings of numbers, one atop the other. They shared a look of confusion for a moment before holding it out to Anna. She also looked at it with a little bit of confusion.

"Coordinates?" She asked in what she hoped was a helpful bit of brainstorming. Mark looked at it again, shrugging and making a little bit of a face that was considering but not sold on the idea.

"Might be, but it's really specific if it is. I mean, look at all the decimal points." Anna agreed and Gabe had nothing to add. Mark was the brain, not him. Together they muse for a little, tossing a few ideas back and forth, but the only one that really seemed to fit was the first. Anna promised them clean clothes in the morning, said they could keep the pajamas, and then suggested they get some sleep. There was no argument from either man, and with goodnights around, Anna left. Mark happily took the cot, Gabe the stuffed bed, and without conversation they fell asleep.

Morning came with sounds from the house, the couples moving around, starting their schedule of together activities, which obviously started with breakfast. The knock on the door was what got the men out of bed, both stretching to crack their backs and work out the kinks that developed over night. Gabe answered the door, taking a stack of clothes from a man that was most likely Anna's husband. He was polite but didn't stick around, probably not as perceptive as Anna when it came to relationships and still tricked into thinking they were actually a couple. Together they mused over the idea until Gabe went to shower and Mark dressed and went down for breakfast.

The morning meal was much less structured than the evening, Anna drifting in and out. She took orders, spoke to the guests, and disappeared to cook up eggs, sausage, bacon, waffles, pancakes, or any number of things that were asked of her. Some of the couples smiled at Mark, wished him a good morning. Some were deep in conversation. He took a seat at the table and Anna came over soon after. He had poured himself a cup of coffee and was taking sips when she asked him what he would like. Consciously he asked for an egg-white omelet. At first she gave him a look, almost a little surprised, but then she smiled and slunk down in the seat next to him. Her smile had turned a little mischievous as she settled down, one leg crossed over the other.

"That's a really healthy order for such a young man. So why don't you tell me what you really do." She had leaned forward a little like they were having a private conversation. Mark took a sip of coffee before mimicking her in posture. He made a show of glancing briefly around before responding.

"Well, if you really want the truth... We're secret agents." Anna laughed, a bright and cheerful laugh, before patting Mark on the knee and getting up.

"So you do have a sense of humor! That's good because I was starting to think your boyfriend got the good looks and the good humor of your relationship." She threw a playful wink at the end before getting back to business. "Alright, would Gabe want the same?" Mark chuckled into his coffee at that, sitting back and giving it a moment of though. He tried to remember what the other man ate on the road, but he had never really given it much thought. All that came to mind was the captain's silly idea of what snacks were.

"Well, he kinda eats like he's pregnant. Avocados and cottage cheese and the likes, so I don't think I should make any decisions for him." Anna laughed again, nodded in understanding before patting Mark on the shoulder and heading to the kitchen with a playful southern "Be ready in a jiffy, hun." Gabe arrived before the omelet, swinging down into the chair Anna had been in. He yawned, pouring himself a cup of coffee as well. They still didn't speak until Anna returned with Mark's food. Gabe smiled while looking at it before looking up at the hostess.

"G'morning, chef. Think I'd like the same." Anna put her hands on her hips, making a show of being annoyed.

"Just finished one and have to make another? What terrible guests you two are." They both chucked, Gabe putting on his best polite look. He asked her again, adding several pleases, and even calling her miss for good measure. When she walked away again she wasn't even playfully annoyed. Gabe sat back, rubbing his neck a little to relax.

"I think we should hurry and get out of here," He said softly, and Mark didn't hesitate to agree with a nod and a soft "amen". Then they got down to work. Gabe had the paper and Mark got out his phone. He set the strings of numbers in as coordinates, letting it search, and it came up with something. Of course that something was on the other side of New Mexico.

"Better than the other side of the world," Gabe had said with a grin, and Mark wasn't going to bite. If it was on the other side of the world then Gabe was going to have to take a plane. Planes meant airports, which meant rental cars, which meant Mark could go back to Denver without so much of a loss as $200 and a few days. Instead he'd be looking at another day traveling and hoping for the best. Eating, Mark mused over the numbers as Gabe spoke to the other couples near. Of course calling them "other couples," as Mark did with an annoyed groan in his mind, was stupid. They weren't a couple and Mark was definitely on board with never talking to Gabe again for the rest of his life after their little misadventure was over, but just having to deal with his captain's stupid lie had him almost believing it. Or, at least, getting used to just agreeing with it and stop fighting it. It was too late to argue his way out of it, and after that morning he had no intention of seeing anyone in that house, or even the house itself, again.

They finished their food and the couples were talking about the hike they were going on, the women more than interested in the two joining them and showing a little bit of why they looked so sporty. Gabe let them down easy, told them that they actually couldn't, that they were leaving that morning. Of course then came the questions of why they had come at all if they were only staying the night. Gabe, now apparently the master of gab, even if it was all lies, paused just slightly. Mark, in the process of standing, covered for him.

"We're friends of Anna's. Sometimes we just come by, but we gotta be elsewhere. That's why there was that extra room, just incase we come by. Pretty nice set up." Just like with all the other lies, the couples took it at face value, smiling and nodding. Of course some of the women were upset that they were going to miss out on seeing more of Gabe, but they would just have to deal. Mark hoped they would never accidentally spot the captain during a game. Of course the damage was already done, so all they could do from there was wait for it to happen. For not the first time, Mark wondered if Gabe had any clue what he was doing.

It didn't take long for them to thank Anna and get out of the building. For the first time Mark was glad to have direction, anything to get them out of that place. The first hour of the trip was mostly in silence, Gabe driving and Mark looking out of the passenger window. The radio was on an oldies station, a nice mix of rock and pop from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. There was no singing along, but they occasionally took turns humming softly or tapping the beat on either the steering wheel or knee.

"You know what's funny?" Gabe said out of nowhere and startled Mark just slightly. He looked over at Gabe, having to remember how to use his voice to respond.

"No, Gabe. No clue what's funny."

"You lied to those people back at the inn." Mark looked over, cocking an eyebrow at him. Their whole time there had been a lie except to Anna, and even then they would have probably lied to her if she hadn't known better. To point out Mark's lie when Gabe started it was kind of stupid in the least and was a whole hand full of calling the kettle black by that point. "Just mean, you were so against the lie and then you jumped on board. Was funny." Alright, no. His options were bail Gabe out or spend a few hours telling the real story. Mark just opted for the previous, and faster, way out.

"Well, it's 'cause you suck at lying," he responded flatly, making Gabe smile.

Several million hours later, by Mark's very logical calculation of time, they arrived at the coordinates he had set in his phone. By then his battery was a sad state of completely drained and they had moved onto Gabe's phone that was also nearing it's end-state. It hadn't helped that Gabe had a stupid habit of pulling off to take pictures, constantly had the phone using the internet, and did almost nothing other than post on twitter when Mark was driving. Then there was the lunch break that was infuriatingly long, followed by a dinner that was also bad. It was true that they couldn't just stop at some fast food place along the road, but there was no reason a salad should take an hour and a half to eat. 

Night had settled heavily when they pulled off the road and down a long dirt path. The skies had stayed clear all day and though the stars were out, there was no moon and everything was pitch black. Mark had done his share of the driving that day, but Gabe took over at nightfall. Mark had nodded off in the passenger seat but the sudden change from pavement to dirt had him jerking awake. He groaned a little, rubbing his eyes before blearily looking around.

"The hell?" He asked a little accusing, looking out the side window at the dark expanse before them, then out the front window to where the high beams were swallowed up. There was just dirt and bushes, and some mountains. The coordinates had been in the middle of nowhere by the Google map images, but Mark had assumed Gabe would have enough sense to disengage the search until the next day. They could find some crappy motel, crash, and go when it was light. Apparently he gave the new captain far too much credit.

"Almost there," Gabe responded, grinning over. "Couldn't wait to get here. Kinda excited to see what's waiting, y'know?"

"You could wait all the time in the world earlier. Why do you think eight hours would make a difference? We have no idea how long whatever this is has been going on. Pretty sure it could survive another night." He was probably curter than was needed, but he didn't want to really be there anyway, so it shouldn't have been surprising that he also wanted to be asleep in a bed and not playing in the night. Gabe didn't respond, just kept his hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Mark thought for the first time that trip that he might have, maybe, gone a little overboard. It wasn't like he really had any obligations, any reason to be in Denver except to work out and get ready for his season, but he had gone on a trip instead. It was just a few days, nothing much. Nothing to get worked up over. He wasn't going to apologize, though. Instead he reached over to take Gabe's phone, looking at the two coordinates. They were close and with another minute they would have been there.

"Stop up there," he said, and Gabe did as he was told. They both got out, the cold air hitting them hard before becoming just a numb tingle. Gabe had gotten a flashlight out of the glove box, as the headlights didn't do much. Mark looked back the way they had come, barely being able to make out where they had come from. He wasn't a tracker or anything, but he was pretty sure the only action the path had gotten in any time were dirt bikers and 4-wheelers. Besides that it didn't look like there was a whole lot going on in that part of the wilderness. He turned around to go back to where Gabe was looking around, shining his flashlight around to see if he could see something past the beams from his car.

They searched together, usually not straying more than a few feet away from each other. The high beams cast long shadows from the vegetation that they swept behind with the small beam of portable light. They looked behind rocks, behind bushes, around the whole area, not saying too much. Like before, at the inn, there was an air around the area that just felt too heavy, that sent chills through their spines that had nothing to do with the night air. They made a crescent in front of the car, looking as far as the light allowed, before starting to double back to turn the car and gave another side a chance.

"Not to be an ass, but really Gabe, we should wait until morning. This is pointless." Mark didn't get an answer, though, because when he looked over Gabe was gone. It took about half a second for him to realize that with him disappearing so did the flashlight beam. He looked down, a light groan signaling to him where Gabe was. Then there were the swear words.

The captain was laying oddly on the ground, half up, half down, the light from the high beams just glinting off the flashlight that lay off by his side. Gabe's voice was quiet but sharp, a barrage of swear words that were either extreme or made up that still seemed like they would make a hardened biker blush. Mark bent down, trying to get an idea of what had gone on, more than a little panicked which he tried to hide for the betterment of the situation.

"What happened? You okay?" Gabe at first shook his head before taking a breath and nodding. He signaled that he was okay but he was still on the ground, slowly pushing himself to a sitting position and brushing his hands off on his pants. Mark took a quick look over him, seeing what had happened. His foot was half stuck in a hole; something neither of them had noticed, and was just at the right spot that Gabe had stepped in it. The foot and ankle looked fine, but they weren't dumb enough to not know that damage could be under the skin and that his foot didn't have to be turned backwards for a break to have happened. With just a little bit of maneuvering, Gabe's foot was free and Mark was helping him to his feet even though Gabe was assuring him he was fine. When he put weight on it, though, Gabe made a low grunting noise and immediately rocked onto his other foot.

"That's it, we're done," Mark said, putting Gabe's arm over his shoulder, helping him back toward the car. Gabe made a few light protests, but Mark's resolve was set. There was no way they were going to keep walking around in the dark when there were holes around from whatever little creatures made it their home. Even if it was a light twist or sprain, they both needed their feet and it could have been a lot worse. "We'll start again in the morning if your leg's better. Just shut up and for once get over the fact that you're not going to get what you want." That shut up all protests, Gabe just looking at Mark as they got to the car and he was forced to sit on the hood. Mark bent, looking at Gabe's ankle. He untied his shoe and pulled it off, taking hold of Gabe's foot and rolling down the sock. He gently moved his foot, looking at the way the muscles and tendons flexed and accommodated the position of the foot. He was no doctor, no expert on the ankle, but everything looked okay, minus just a little swelling right around where it had turned in the hole. Gabe watched him, trying to keep his face stoic. It didn't really hurt, just ached and sucked to stand on. It was mild at best and he couldn't feel any breaks.

"Tell me if it hurts anywhere," Mark told him, poking around a little. It hurt just around the swelling, so Mark was going to make the diagnosis. "You'll live but probably never play hockey again. See what your little adventure lead to?" Gabe snorted, making a kicking motion at Mark who just chuckled, fixing Gabe's sock before standing, rolling his eyes.

"You're the only person I know that would break his leg to solve a mystery. Seriously you're stupid." It wasn't malicious entirely, joking and soft and Gabe even laughed as he slid his shoe back on. It was true; he was so stubborn and excited that he forgot all about the little things that could go wrong. They were in the arid part of the state, an area where no one ever came. He was lucky Mark had come with him, even if not on his own good consciousness, because if he had suffered anything worse, he might never have been found.

"And you just play a doctor on TV, right? Christ, could be broken and you wouldn't have a clue." It was also light, Gabe pushing off of the hood and hopping toward the passenger side where Mark was. He grabbed onto Mark's shoulder and used him to maneuver to the other side of the door where Mark opened it and helped him sit. Gabe groaned in relief as he sat and got his leg situated on the floor. Mark shut the door and went to the driver's side. He turned the car on, turning the heat up.

"Got any blankets in here?" Gabe shook his head and Mark rolled his eyes. Of course having a little bit of emergency supplies would never have occurred to him. They were lucky to have had water. Mark reached into the back seat, getting a bottle and holding it out to Gabe who took it with a light thanks. He drank some and Mark fished out his own bottle. He had made a point to get them some food and water at one of their gas stops and he was grateful for his own forethought.

"Get some sleep. If your ankle's still bad in the morning, we'll worry about it." Mark took his own advice, popping the seat back and fighting to get comfortable with the steering wheel. Gabe did the same but tried to get comfortable with his injury. There was no more talking for several minutes as both men just settled in, but then Gabe spoke up.

"Hate to admit it, but you were right. Still not too late to go find a hotel, though."

"Way too late to find one. There's nothing really out here, and we might have to spend a few hours driving around to find one even if I could find our way back to the road. So shut up and go to sleep. I'll still be right in the morning. Then you can tell me all you want." Gabe snorted, looking out the window at the starred sky, trying to get himself to fall asleep with the adrenalin from the fall.

Dawn seemed to come really early and it hadn't been a good night. The car wasn't that comfortable, and Gabe had accidentally woken Mark up which both of them had a hard time getting back asleep from. Late, Gabe woke up with a full bladder. He tried to be quiet, pulling himself up, but when he opened the door the dome light came on, and the car chimed since the keys were resting in the ignition. It was a feature Gabe had liked in the car, that regardless of who was getting out, they were reminded that they keys were in there, but it was like an alarm clock to the sleeping man. He opened his eyes and gave a full glare at Gabe who tried to look really apologetic at him.

"Sorry man, gotta piss," he had mumbled, trying to quickly get from the car, but dealt with the pain as soon as he starting to move. The swelling made his shoe feel tight and he knew it was worse than they first though. Still he tried to ignore it, sliding from the car awkwardly and tried to lead with his left leg. When he finally got out and shut the door, Gabe tried to get to the back of the car, using the vehicle as a crutch to hold himself up. It was awkward to lean back on the car and balance on one foot to piss, but he had no option. He felt more than heard Mark's door open, the older man getting out as well. He walked away from the car and Gabe could hear him sigh exasperatedly as he pulled down his own fly and also relieved himself. It was almost funny to Gabe that they would both be doing that, peeing out in the wild on a cold ass night because Gabe was too stubborn to just take an extra night. Mark finished first and came to Gabe's side of the car just as he was finishing. He opened the passenger side door and popped the seat back up for Gabe before taking the long way around the car to pop the trunk. He dug through Gabe's gym bag before finding an ace bandage. He took the long way around the car again as Gabe sat back in the car.

There was no talking as Mark again took off Gabe's shoe, sock, and rolled his pants up. He looked over the swelling, the light black and blue that was forming where the ankle buckled. Silently he started to wrap the ankle before redressing Gabe's foot. He only spared a brief glance at the little blood splotches on Gabe's knee where his jeans gave him a hell of a rug burn. He stood up, stretched his back, and waited for Gabe to get his legs back into the car.

"Try to keep your shoe on so your foot doesn't swell any more," He said, finally breaking the quiet, and Gabe only nodded with a light "thanks." Mark shut the door, went back to his side, and laid down. The silence was back but Gabe only drifted in and out of sleep after that, the ghost of Mark's fingers teasing on his skin.

Almost as if trying to make up for his previous anger and annoyance about the trip, Mark was the first one out looking around in the morning. He tried not to be obvious, crewing on a granola bar and just admiring the scenery, but he was also looking for clues, anything out of place. Gabe woke up soon after, stretching and cracking his back before sitting his seat up and opening the door. He just sat there for a bit, letting his right leg hang from the car and relax without any pressure that had been impossible all night. Soon enough he got restless and fought his way out of the car, which seemed to be the first time Mark notice him even awake.

"Broke the flashlight," he said matter-of-factly, not making any more mention about the accident. Gabe shrugged a little, needing to stretch his legs so he walked to the trunk to also get himself a morning snack. He chewed on it as he hobbled around.

"Yeah, my luck right? Bust up my leg and my flashlight. Might as well just take me out back and shoot me." Mark cracked a grin, almost as if saying ‘don't tempt me’, watching Gabe test the ankle. He finished off his food, pocketing the wrapper as he came over, watching him for a minute before asking,

"How is it?"

"Well, hurts like hell, but I'm gunna say it's not broken. It’s just a sprain-- two to four weeks for recovery. Another reason they shouldn't lock us out. We're bound to do something stupid and get hurt." They both shared a laugh, knowing the truth in it. Mark slowly shook his head, still smiling as he got another bottle of water from the car.

"Actually, you're the only one that did something stupid. But it was an accident. It'll heal." Gabe nodded before starting to look around. Nothing had happened over the night and the area still looked as desolate and arid as it had the night before. Gabe was planning on finding that hole and giving it a stern talking to.

"So, did you see anything?" He chanced as Mark closed the door solidly and took a drink from the bottle. He shook his head lightly, swallowed and then spoke.

"Just an awesome sunrise, but you were snoring so I didn't see a reason to get you up for it. Sucks to be you." Gabe grinned and leaned back against the car, trying to not make it obvious that he was flexing his toes in his shoe. He'd kill for some Advil and a shower, but he had decided to come out in the middle of the night, so he would deal. "You want me to take a look?" Mark was implying Gabe's ankle, not for the clue or prize that should have been waiting for them. He shook his head, trying to put a little more pressure on it. It wasn't that he didn't want to get it checked out; he just remembered the feeling of Mark's fingers too vividly still as it was, and didn't need a reminder.

"Naw, rather just look for what's here and get on our way." Mark understood and they soon started their search. It was pretty slow going at first because Mark didn't drift far from him, but after a bit of Gabe not collapsing or falling again, he ventured from his side.

It didn't take a ridiculously long time for Mark to find what looked like a gas meter or valve or pipe that poked out from the ground. It had been behind the car so they never would have noticed it the night before, and set behind some brush that kept it from view unless someone was right on top of it. Mark pushed the bushes away, looking it over. At first he didn't see anything out of the usual, but, intrigued, he reached under a lip on it. He felt thin plastic, almost like lamination, and pulled it out.

"Gabe," He hollered, holding up what appeared to be a laminated note card, a key taped to it. If that wasn't their clue, then there were strange people in New Mexico. Gabe hobbled over quickly, Mark making a point of going to him to cut him off, but the excitement was evident on the younger man's face. For that, Mark let Gabe have it. He was grinning wide as he read it, but he wasn't reading it out loud, just to himself. Mark had to prompt him to speak out loud.

"Sorry," Gabe said before starting from the top. "Says 'Travel east for 87 miles. At the broken fence on the right side of the road there are 3 milk jugs; one red, one green, and one white. Drive down the dirt road until the end. Make a right and drive another mile until you come to a cabin.' Then there are coordinates for the different points." They shared a look before Gabe turned and headed toward the car. Mark followed a few paces behind him. There was no way Gabe was going to be able to drive, so he was thankful for the short distance.

"I vote first thing we do is get some food." Mark said. Gabe sat down in the passenger seat with a huffed laugh, getting situated.

"And some pain pills." Gabe added as he picked up his phone from the dash, looking at it before adding further "And a charger. It's done for." Mark nodded, chuckling a bit before starting the car.

The first town they came across was their pit stop. First order of business was breakfast, a small local diner with only two pots of coffee on burners and a single page menu. They took turns nursing cups of hot coffee and washing up in the bathroom. The food was far less picky than they should have been, toast and eggs, skipping any meat additions since they weren't turkey, and small bowls of oatmeal. They stayed in the town just long enough to get some supplies, charger and wires, some more road food and water, and much needed pain pills that Gabe probably took too many of.

As navigator, it was Gabe's unwritten job to fall asleep against the window as Mark juggled looking at the map and dodging the traffic that was either crawling along or speeding so fast they were virtually pushing him off the road. Mark was starting to get the feeling that they were never going to find it and that the directions were either bogus or old so that neither the fence nor the milk jugs were still there. Then he spotted them and passed them. Pulling over to the side of the road, Mark waited for all the traffic to pass him before pulling a U-turn and onto the dirt road. Mark stopped several hundred yards from the road, the terrain change doing the same thing to Gabe that it had Mark the night before, and the older man didn't feel bad at all when Gabe woke from his head knocking against the window. Gabe rubbed his head, looking bleary eyed at Mark.

"Sorry man," he said. "We here?"

"No, just on step two," Mark replied, ignoring the apology. He couldn't imagine Gabe had slept with his leg hurting, so him falling asleep was just an acceptable burden. "We'll get going in a minute when I get in the final coordinates. Gabe nodded, yawning loudly and taking to rubbing a kink out of his neck as he looked around. It was reminiscent of their last night, but more of mountain scenery, some tall hills and a horizon that was littered with rocks. Mark finished quickly and shifted from park, taking off slow but steadily down the road. Soon it turned into only a trail and, finally, into nothing at all but an outcropping of rocks. Mark turned right and drove with it to his left, having to turn on occasion to dodge other rocks, but it was mostly drivable, though with no road to it's name. Gabe spotted the cabin first since Mark was paying more attention to what was in his path, but it was tucked in behind some pretty sizable boulders. It wasn't difficult to park in the clearing made for the small building but both men just remained in the car.

"What do you think's in there?"

"Nothing because this has been nothing but a stupid pointless trip from the beginning," Mark wanted to say, but he just shrugged. He got out of the car first, note card in hand. "Stay here. I'll see what's going on." Gabe nodded, trying to relax but was too excited with anxiety to really calm down. Mark peeled the key off of the card as he walked, looking around to make sure that there wasn't anyone there waiting for them.

Everything was still as he approached, even the wind. It was stupid that the anxiety felt heavy again, that it had at every step of trip, especially when Mark was certain they wouldn't find anything. It was stupid, it was all stupid, and Gabe had gotten hurt and they were in the middle of Nowhere, New Mexico chasing ghosts that were probably getting a laugh out of it. He knocked on the door after only a thirty second count where he worked up his nerve. He listened and waited, but there was still nothing-- no animals, no people, no sounds. He turned the key in his fingers a few times before grabbing the handle and fitting it into the lock. There wasn't a need to, though, because the door hadn't been locked. The knob turned easily and opened into a silent house.

Mark pocketed the key and stepped inside, looking around. It was small, unimposing, and surprisingly well stocked. There must not have been a lot of people that came into the area because an unlocked and unsecured place obviously hadn't been burglarized or vandalized. Mark walked around, looking at the kitchen and living area before the bedroom area that was only separated by a half wall. He pulled the curtains, looking behind the building and there was nothing there. He took one last look around before going back out the door and signaling to Gabe. The younger man let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding before opening the door and getting out slowly. Mark had gone back in to open the curtains, letting light into the room. That's when he noticed it, tucked into a corner on a small but ornate end table.

It was a large decorative box that looked like a house. It was octagonal with a pointed top, and a keyhole where the door should have been. Mark didn't touch it, just looked at it almost with fear. So far all the puzzles had been simple, hunt and finds on their part, but he had a feeling that what sat harmlessly in the corner was a challenge he never faced before and had never wanted to. Gabe came inside, his footsteps breaking the staring contest Mark and the box were having. He looked at Gabe who was scanning the building.

"At least we don't have to share a bed or go shopping," he commented, which made Mark chuckle, almost forgetting about the puzzle, but his finger itched toward the key that rested in his pocket. He moved back toward the door, stepping out.

"Gunna go grab some stuff from the car. Think we'll be here for a little." Gabe nodded, eyes having scanned until they also settled on the newest puzzle. He didn't hold the same fear of it, though, walking right over to it and looking at it. It was decorative but there didn't seem to be much on the outside. His thumb drifted over they keyhole before he picked it up and took it to the dinning table that sat in the center of the larger room. He tipped it up to look at the bottom, checking every side before slumping into a wooden chair in front of it. He looked at it quizzically until Mark came back in.

"How're we supposed to open it? There's no key on it." Mark set down a case of water and a bag of food that he brought in. He slipped his hand back into his pocket and pulled out the key that was basically burning a hole in it.

"With this."

"Wasn't that for the door?"

"Door was unlocked," Mark said simply, turning away to pull out a bottle of water and starting to rummage through the cabinets. There was plenty of food, jugs of water along the baseboard, and even some cast iron pots and pans. The food was all canned and needed cooking. Mark looked at the stove, wood burning. He hadn't seen any logs, but that didn't mean there weren't any. He turned back to Gabe who was still debating on whether to open the metaphorical can of worms or not. Mark made the decision for him. 

"Leave it," he said simple and it came a lot sterner than he meant. He tried to make up for it by speaking softer. "Look, we both slept like shit. Go lay down for a bit. We'll be terrible at solving puzzles now anyway." Gabe conceded, getting up and headed toward the three beds in the other room. He sat heavily, resting for a few seconds before working up the energy to undo his shoes. Mark was right, his foot had already started to swell with the ankle, but he would be damned if he wasn't going to get comfortable. His feet were hot and sweaty and in two-day-old socks that really needed a thorough cleaning or a cremation. He peeled those off as well, stuffing them into his shoes. He lost his shirt too before flopping back and groaning. Mark ventured in a few minutes later just as Gabe was nodding off, waking him up.

"Let me see your ankle."

"It's fine. Don't worry."

"It's not fine and I'm not worried." Mark sat on the bed, pulling Gabe's leg onto his lap. He hissed a little at the mistreatment but started to feel better when Mark undid the bandage. He was sure it looked bad, but Mark didn't say anything, just balled up the bandage and put it on the floor. He did some poking, even some rubbing, and Gabe could have fallen asleep if there hadn't been little jolts of pain. Soon, though, Mark shifted and put his foot back on the bed.

"Take your pants off." Alright, that had Gabe opening his eyes and giving Mark a confused look. "Your boxers too while you're at it."

"You know, if you just wanted to see me naked you could ask." Mark smirked a little and made a show of rolling his eyes.

"No thanks, you can keep your dick to yourself. Just figured you could use some washed out underwear. Was gunna go get you the pajamas Anna gave us." Oh, oh yeah. That made sense. He wasn't totally thinking about the two of them sleeping naked across the room from each other.

"You drive a hard bargain, you know that Olvs?" The older man just nodded with a light chuckle, leaving the room and going back to the car. Gabe did as he was told, being mindful of his leg as he stripped. He held his boxers over his crotch when Mark came back in. All he did was drop the clothes off for him before going back out to the other room. Gabe changed and got back into bed.

"You decent then?" Mark asked, not really waiting for an answer before returning. Gabe didn't really give one anyway, just a low grunt as he was again roused from the beginnings of sleep. He watched as Mark came in with some rags and a first aid kit he had obviously found somewhere. He again sat on the end of the bed. He just lifted the blanket before pushing the pant leg up. He didn't stop at the ankle but went up to his thigh. Gabe tried to hide the little shutter.

"What're you doing?" Mark reached down to grab one of the rags that was wet. He started to clean off Gabe's knee that he had only done a shoddy job of tending to at the diner.

"Fixing you up."

"I could do it myself," Gabe countered, sitting up on his elbows. Mark gave him a long look, gaze unwavering. He was a serious guy, Gabe had gotten that the year before in just the little time they had known each other, but to have it so intense, so directed at him, it was a little unnerving.

"Yeah, you could do it yourself. But will you?" Gabe didn't answer right away, just continued the staring contest they were having. Soon, though, he gave up, falling back on the bed with a defeated no. "Good, then shut up and go to sleep." Mark wasn't hurting him but it was easier said than done with his hands on him. He worked fast and efficiently, cleaning the torn up skin before pushing a gauze pad to it and taping it down. He got up easily and placed another wet rag onto Gabe's ankle. It was cool which was a plus, but he didn't immediately feel the relief an ice pack would have given. Still beggars couldn't be choosers and Gabe was pretty down and out. Mark then flipped the blankets back over him, gathered the discarded clothes, and walked out.

It was late afternoon when Gabe woke up. Mark apparently had finished whatever chores he had set out to do because he was sleeping in another bed, fully out. Gabe got up as quietly as he could. He wrapped his ankle again and fit on his shoes. He felt better but popped a few more pills to take the edge off. He eyed the house-like box as he drank down his water but ultimately let it be. Sure he could have opened it, but he probably wouldn't have gotten far without Mark. Instead he wandered outside. 

There was a makeshift clothesline with both of their clothes hung up to dry. There were even clothes pins holding them in place so Gabe assumed Mark had found everything he needed somewhere in the cabin. He tested them, still wet even though the sun was hot and a light breeze had started. He wandered around a little more, venturing behind the cabin where he saw some logs and an axe. He pulled the blade from the giant chunk of tree, steadied himself and took a practice swing. It hadn't felt bad, just a little shaky, and Gabe's ego pushed him.

Chopping wood wasn't hard. His balance was a little off but once he got into the rhythm, it was smooth sailing. He had a pretty good stack going when Mark had appeared behind the house. Gabe stopped, wiping the sweat from his face before smiling.

"Couldn't let you do all the work," he commented with a laugh. "You're the brains of this outfit so I figured I'd be the brawn." To accent it, Gabe flexed playfully. He had abandoned his shirt when he had lost the first gallon of water to sweat, not wanting to make the pajama's as nasty smelling as he was. All Mark could do was smirk, wondering just a little if Gabe was doing it on purpose. The touches weren't supposed to be anything, just a concerned friend helping out. It would continue to be just that if Gabe would put his damn shirt on.

"So you had to do the most manly work you could manage?" Well duh, Gabe thought, Law of Escalation was at full play. Mark had done the easier work over a longer time, so Gabe had to do harder work to make up for it. He shrugged and grinned, making Mark sigh a little. He kicked at the jugs of water he had brought out when he washed out their clothes, a bar of soap on top.

"Well then, butch, wash your stink off. I'm gunna go try and get that stove going." He walked over to the pile of wood Gabe had made and picked up some before going inside. He made several trips but decided he had enough inside when he walked out and Gabe had been pouring water over himself. There were certain things he didn't have to see, lest they plague his dreams. Instead he set himself on concentrating on how to get the fire going. There wasn't any gas cans or lighter fluid that he could find, but there was some tinder and newspaper. Plus the keeper of the cabin had hung a lighter on the wall right by the stove. It didn't take a degree in chemistry to get it going. By then Gabe had come in, using his pajama shirt as a towel. Mark made a point to keep his back to him as Gabe set a couple more slivers of wood by the stove and then slipped onto a chair, sighing with relief when he got settled. He reached out and took the key, turning it in his hand.

Almost as if that was a cue, Mark looked up and at Gabe's hands. He stood up, rubbing his hands on his pant’s legs as he looked from the key to Gabe, and then to the box and back at Gabe. There was a bit of a pause where the anxiety settled on them again but Mark was quick to not let it take hold.

"Go ahead, open it." Gabe nodded and Mark grabbed a chair, pulling it up next to him. It was almost like slow motion as Gabe shifted the key in his hand before reaching out and sliding it in the lock. It clicked actually pretty loudly before the crack of the doors separated, opening to a hollow inside. Gabe pushed them open and Mark was basically pressed to him to see over him. He shifted from the chair, looking over Gabe's shoulder as they both peered inside.

Inside was a smaller octagonal box, latched to the bigger box with small leather straps and brass snaps. Gabe reached in, unhooking it and pulled out the smaller box. Mark moved the outer part away, peeking inside and looking for anything they missed. He reached inside as Gabe turned the smaller box over and around, shaking it and listening for anything. There were some shaking noises, but less like something inside bouncing around, and more like mechanisms that were lose in their holds shifting slightly.

"If you break it, does that mean we can go home?" Mark asked simply, and Gabe laughed, setting it back down and keeping his hands off of it. Mark couldn't help but to laugh also, but it got cut short when his fingers brushed against a paper at the top of the box. With creased brows, Mark pulled the paper out, holding it between them. It wasn't like the previous clues, not a note card and it had no writing, just an old Polaroid photo. 

"That's here," Gabe said like it wasn't most obvious thing in the world. Mark rolled his eyes, telling him that, yeah, it was there. It was the very room they were sitting in, and it looked like the photo would have just been taken except for the old black and white print and the obvious damage to the paper. They passed it between them for a few minutes, trying to pick out anything strange with the photo before it just found it's way into Gabe's possession and Mark finished checking the box. There was nothing left in it so he moved it to the other side of the table.

They were relatively silent as they traded the items back and forth, Mark looking at the new box, Gabe the photo. He got up, trying to not limp as he moved over toward the corner where the picture had been taken from. It was methodic, Gabe holding up the picture so in his line of sight he could see both the room and the image, eyes glancing from one to the other, trying to compare. It was funny because it was like even the food was the same from when it was taken. Mark broke his concentration a little when he spoke, making his eyes have to find where he had been once he returned his gaze.

"Something five letters," He had said and Gabe made a sound before asking what the hell Mark was talking about. "The turn dial here, it's got five letters, so look for something that could work with five letters." Alright, that was a bit of a tall request when Gabe was just looking for anything out of place at all. He went back to his methodical searching and had to do it a few times before anything at all caught his eye. By then he was so sick of looking that he was sure he had just been seeing phantoms. His stomach was starting to get the pains of not having eaten since the morning and the longer he was looking at the cans, the more he wanted to crack some open.

"Making something to eat," he said in a matter of fact tone, tossing the photo onto the table. Mark looked up briefly before looking back at the box. He had it tipped up at himself, trying to figure out something that was on the other side from the turn dials.

Gabe took his time cooking up something condensed and full of salt that was labeled as soup but could have been anything. He really didn't want something hot, but their options were that or drive about two hours and try to find a seven-eleven. Soup it was and when he slid the bowl to Mark, the older man finally got the side he had been working on right and there was a very audible click. Mark was smiling, wide. The thrill of hockey was something Gabe understood, and the look on Mark's face was like he just scored. Gabe crowded him as he slid the drawer out and was rewarded with more puzzles. Slowly, defeated air settled over them before Mark started to fiddle with it. After a few minutes where he worked in silence and Gabe had sat back down and was drinking his soup more than eating it, Mark reached toward his own bowl. He floundered for just a second before looking over at it curiously. He looked around it before finally addressing the problem.

"Spoon?" He asked as if that alone held all parts of a standard question.

"Ain't got any. Just that ladle I cooked it with." Mark just looked at Gabe for several long seconds before grabbing the photo and looking at it. Then he looked at the stove and back at the photo. Finally after a few moments, he looked up at Gabe.

"How many letters does spoon have?" He asked slowly as if talking to a child. Gabe immediately sat forward and snatched the photo out of Mark's hand, doing the same back and forth as the older man, realizing quickly that Mark was right. The rack of utensils was on the wall, but the strainer spoon was missing. He groaned and looked back defensively.

"Hey, I was looking at that forever! How was I supposed to notice that?" Mark rolled his eyes as if yeah, yeah, likely story. You're just dumb and won’t admit it. However, Gabe was right. Out of all the details in the picture, to notice one utensil missing from a rack was asking a lot. Still, Mark thought it was ingenious how it worked. There were no cans like tuna, something to eat with a fork. All of them were spoon items and that meant sooner or later they would need that one thing and then they would realize. Mark turned the box around, sliding in the combination and being rewarded with another click.

It was convenient, Mark working on one side of the box, Gabe on the other. They didn't talk to each other, only when discussing their various puzzles. It was actually funny how all it took for them to sit quietly was with one of them sleeping or with them both working diligently on a task. Surprisingly Gabe wasn't half bad when he put his mind to it, actually solving a few of the little tasks like flipping switches in a proper order and aligning corners in certain ways with only a few utterances. They weren't very easy tasks Mark knew, working on his own slew of puzzles, having his own difficulties. He actually got stuck before Gabe, he having moved on enough to get another panel open and had started on it. Both his and Gabe's bowls sat on the table together, finished and discarded long before. Evening had settled fast and soon enough Mark was around lighting some candles and then it was too dark to work. They had brought in a substantial amount of firewood, but soon their only source of entertainment or work was staring at each other. 

Unsurprisingly, Gabe made the first move toward bed, yawning in his spot across the room and against the wall. He had been tending to his leg, working the ankle out and peaking under the bandage on his knee that Mark told him more than once to leave alone. It had been an emotionally taxing, more than physical taxing, day, and with their inability to get much else done that evening they called it quits early.

Gabe's hand was over Mark’s mouth, holding him tight as he signaled for him to not say a word. That was how Mark woke up. Gabe shushed him with a finger to his own lips and wide eyes that stared directly into Mark's. Mark felt panic grip him at that look, eyes darting and ears listening.

"There! You hear it?" Gabe hissed in a whisper, pointing to the kitchen area. Mark did hear it and he wasn't thrilled that he was being woken up for it. There were some soft scratches, some noises that weren't unusual for the wild. He grabbed Gabe's hand, pulling the palm off of his mouth so he could speak. He didn't look happy when he did nor did his tone seem jovial or amused.

"The scratching?" He asked and Gabe nodded quickly. Mark gave him one last hard look before he rolled over and away from the younger man, intent on getting back to sleep. "Probably a mouse," he mumbled.

"No way," Gabe pressed, kneeling on the bed to get his bad leg up and get closer to Mark, not letting him shut him out. "Was loud, man, nothing like what a little mouse would do! It's gotta be a coyote or something!" Mark didn't bother to look back at him; just clenched his eyes shut and tried to ignore both Gabe and the noises. 

"Did we latch the door before we went to bed?" He asked sleepily and annoyed. Gabe affirmed they did. That was the only time Mark willingly looked over at Gabe. "Then unless coyotes grew thumbs, I'm going to take a crazy guess and say we're fine." He meant Gabe to feel stupid, definitely. He had no doubt in that, but the way Gabe looked like all the realization in the universe came on him at once, like he realized every stupid mistake he had ever made, made Mark second guess his decision. Slowly Gabe got off the bed.

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry I got you up for nothing." Mark groaned vocally, letting Gabe get back in bed while he hated himself a little more. Yeah, he wanted to make Gabe feel like an idiot, but not that bad. It was a little much.

"Alright, here's the deal. If they break in, you can leave me as bait and run to the car. Deal?" Gabe chuckled a little, facing Mark as he got settled back in.

"Deal." Neither of them were going to get much more sleep.

The curtains were thick but Gabe had lain in just the right spot to get hit with the rays seeping through. At first it felt good, the sun warmed up the cabin and him as well, but soon it just got annoying. He got up quietly, rewrapped his ankle, and wandered out of the room. The box sat just as it had the night before, but it was too early and Gabe was too sleep heavy to even think about working on it. He scrubbed at his face, feeling the stubble that was edging toward a beard. He would have killed for a shave, but he would settle for an improvised shower.

Grabbing some of the water jugs and the soap, Gabe made his way outside but not too far from the small front porch. He didn't see any signs of the coyotes from the night, but that didn't mean he forgot about them. He did a quick look around to make sure they were still alone before stripping. 

 

That was how Mark found him, naked and washing himself. Mark had found some coffee on the shelves and boiled water for it before stepping onto the porch. Much like Gabe he couldn't get himself to start working that early, however he wished he had when he walked out, immediately choking on his coffee and going back in to hack it out.

"For fuck Gabe!" He screamed once he could breathe again. "Put a pair of pants on the doorknob if your gunna do that!" He could hear Gabe's laugh, the sloshing of the water in the jug as Gabe put it back down, and then the light singing of some pop song or another like he had been in his own shower at home. Mark shook his head, and wiped the sleep from his eyes as he took a hearty sip of his coffee. It was stupid, but it had been funny, and for the first time Mark didn't want to wring his captain's neck.

When Gabe came in he was dressed, his own shirt and pants on that he had taken off the clothesline. He made a pleased and refreshed sound, moving to the stove that held the hot water kettle, making himself up a cup of coffee. There were no luxury additions, no creamer or sugar, just straight black coffee. He hissed and whistled a little as he sat down, taking a drink. Mark wasn't sure if it was from the heat or the bold flavor, but Mark's own feelings had been akin to it for his first cup. The second was much deader.

"You should really go take a shower," Gabe said, offending Mark just a little who pulled at his own shirt and sniffed it. "No. Well, yeah, maybe you smell too, but I meant how free it is! I mean, just you, the water, and the scenery."

"And me having to see your pasty ass," Mark countered, rolling his eyes and leaning back in to work on the puzzle he had been while Gabe was washing. The younger man laughed again, shrugging a little as he leaned over to flip a switch on his own side of the puzzle absently that did nothing at all but flip back in place when let go.

"If asses offend you, Olvs, you might just be in the wrong line of work. Go on, really. Promise I wont walk in on you." Mark couldn't help but laugh as well, taking a drink from his coffee and getting up. He pulled his shirt off and looked pointedly at Gabe, a warning in his eyes.

"Stay in here and work. You're so slow on your side." There was a laugh in it, Gabe leaning back and holding up his hands defensively, trying to not look threatening or, mostly, smug. He was actually farther than Mark, something surprising to both but probably also annoying to Mark. Gabe figured all and all he hadn't done much weight pulling to their adventure and, more so, that Mark was constantly over thinking things. Some of the puzzles were so easy, so simple that it seemed stupid to get hung up on, but Mark didn't actually think in that way. 

Gabe had moved to Mark's side, getting new puzzles to try. He solve a few quickly, and not wanting to incur any wrath, quickly stopped again and busied himself making some breakfast of more heated soup. When Mark returned, he looked a lot better, more human at least than he had earlier. He immediately went for his cup of coffee, finishing it up and looking accusingly at the box. Then he looked accusingly at Gabe.

"Really?"

"And I made breakfast. You're welcome." It was really hard not to laugh at that, Mark trying to huff as he went to get another cup of coffee and Gabe was shoving a bowl of soup into his hands.

"We're going to be so sick after this," Mark said matter-of-factly and Gabe laughed, nodding in agreement. They were just going to have to hurry up and get going. Gabe had his leg propped up, occasionally reaching over to scratch at the bandage. His knee looked fine and he didn't want Mark to have to touch him again, so he made no mention of it. Mark had only asked about his ankle once, and Gabe brushed it off with an "it's fine" that was a lie, but the generic pills were taking the edge off and that was all he could ask for. The rest of the morning was spent in generally silence. It wasn't muted like they didn't have, or even didn't want to, say anything, but more so because they were concentrating. It was like the night's sleep, for whatever good it had been, fueled them on, and the answers seemed much clearer. Mark had gained speed after Gabe told him how he solved the puzzle he had been stuck on, and Gabe was a whiz in his own rights. 

Mark had solved his side first, a solid clicking in the box, but nothing else letting go. He moved over to help Gabe, bracing himself on the back of his chair and looking over him. More than once he had reached to do something and Gabe had slapped his hands, demanding Mark look but not touch. He got it the first time, instructing Gabe instead of doing it himself. The following times he reached for a dial or a switch were just to make Gabe annoyed, a feeling Mark had been all too familiar with for their whole trip.

At completing the puzzle, a familiar click sounded. They shared a look, long and hard, as the top popped ajar. They were almost asking which one of them was going to peek inside by their looks so Mark moved slowly, shifting to the side of the table where he could reach and pull it off. Gabe had also stood, watching as Mark pulled it away and set it on the table. He then reached inside cautiously, fingers searching for only a moment before pulling out a slender metal tube. He held it in front of them, just looking at it as if it alone held the answers.

"Open it," Mark said, holding it out to Gabe. The younger man looked shocked, eyes going from the tube to Mark, and then back again. He shook his head, eyeing the thing.

"No way, you got us this far. You open it."

"And you dragged me here, almost literally, so you open it!" It really wasn't an offer any more, a demand, and Gabe hesitantly reached out to take it. He turned it in his hand a few times before looking at Mark. He smiled slowly, it not going to his eyes as he grabbed the screw top in one hand. He paused again.

"Alright, here's to nothing." They hadn't realized they had been holding their breaths until Gabe pulled the thing open. A key was stuck into the cap, a piece of paper wound inside. Gabe took it out, wetting his lips before reading it.

"Another clue," he said matter-of-factly, handing it to Mark. Mark read it, brows furrowing as he did so. It was the last one, it told them; that their reward was waiting at certain coordinates. Mark folded the paper and slipped it in his pocket, gesturing at they key.

"Hold onto that. We'll pack up and head out." They still had over half of the day to go, and Mark was more than interested to get out of the cabin. It wasn't that it wasn't inviting, it surprisingly had grown on Mark during their brief stay there, but a destination meant freedom, and after their last pit stop he could just be done with the whole crazy experience.

They packed rather quickly, putting things away, and Mark left the door shut but not locked, just as they had found it. Once on the highway they stopped. Around noon they got food, real food, and gassed up. Mark nursed water bottles as he drove, Gabe navigated, actually fully awake for once. 

It had just turned evening when they pulled off the road again. The path was a lot more obvious than the previous ones; warn down from a lot of off-road vehicles. Mark navigated easily, putting the car in park when they were close enough to the ping on the phone. Even hunting was a lot easier than the previous clues because of a mound of dirt, very conspicuous, being an obvious destination. Gabe limped, trying to hide it as he hurried to Mark who was just looking down at the pile. The key was burning a hole in Gabe’s pocket and he was eager to get their reward. Instead, when he got close, he realized just how crestfallen Mark looked and what that meant.

A plain, steel box lay half in the dirt, lid open and half broken. The whole thing was dirty, but a very obvious a bold plaque on the inside of the lid read "Congratulations." Gabe looked to Mark who tried not to meet his eyes. Mark leaned down, brushing the dirt away to get a better idea. The lock was broken, the mechanism smashed probably be a screwdriver and hammer. They had pried it open, took whatever was inside, and left the carcass. He couldn't meet Gabe's eyes.

"There's gotta be something else. That was a decoy or something, right?" Gabe asked. There was no answer to that because none was needed. They went all that way and were just going to get a busted box. Gabe got down close, scooping the dust and dirt from inside, trying to find something, anything to lead them-- to give them something to win. Life was never that simple, and Mark was pretty sure it was bordering on cruel that day. He didn't help with words, didn't get down into the dirt to help Gabe dig. It had been his mission from the start, and it was his turn to see what a folly it had been. There was never any life in danger, there was never a secret mission bestowed on him. It was a treasure hunt and, like with most things, the treasure had been stolen from them. It probably had been stolen long before they even began.

"C'mon, Gabe," Mark said softly, kindly, which was a big change from how he had been. Mark was never soft, always blunt and direct, but for once he couldn't be. He had to be the stable one, but not the forceful hand. He leaned down, pressing his hand to Gabe's shoulder. The younger man paused and then shrugged it off, continuing his search. Mark had no idea what he wanted, what he thought would be waiting. Gabe already had fame, already had fortune, and he was only in his sophomore year, and it was basically a wash out. He was on a rookie contract, he would go to whatever team he wanted to. He would kill in the Europe leagues.

With a light sigh that he tried to keep in his throat, Mark squatted down, shifting through the dirt with Gabe. He never saw the thankful look in the younger man's eyes because he was trying to keep them trained on the ground. He was trying to not look. It was Mark's finger, though, that caught the metal ring. It was small but thick, and a dirty grey color. It fit up to the second knuckle of Mark's finger, but definitely wasn't made for hockey hands. Gabe had noticed it too, stopping his digging to look. Mark didn't hesitate to hold it out, pushing his finger to Gabe's palm and letting it slide off. Gabe took it, holding it up to the fading light. Mark stood, brushing off his pants before holding out a hand to help Gabe up.

"C'mon, let's get out of here." Slowly Gabe took his hand, getting helped to his feet as they moved back toward the car. The limp was more prominent, Gabe not trying to hide the discomfort he was in. It didn't matter because there wasn’t a reason to keep going, to hide it any more. They were going back to Denver and that was that.

The ride home was in mostly silence. Pit stops were fast: bathroom breaks and gas, and Mark never moved from the driver's seat. Gabe had chewed some more pills and fell asleep around eleven, leaving Mark just to his thoughts and the ever phasing in and out radio. He wanted to stop, wanted to rest, but the idea of spending another night on the road wasn't going to slip into his thoughts. He forced down McDonald's coffee, black, and tried not to let his eyes wander or close for more than a blink.

It was nearing dawn when they arrived back in Denver, and Mark was grateful to be back on semi-familiar territory. It didn't take long to get to the hotel and by the time they had parked the sun was burning bright and the traffic was ramping up. Gabe struggled to keep his composure, assuring Mark that first thing the next day he'd get the doctors to look over his ankle, but there seemed to be more than just physical pain in his eyes. Mark had been far too tired to do anything other than nod and trudge sleepily to his room, not worry about Gabe’s state for more than a minute. He thought that it would be a miracle if either of them even woke up for the next day. He couldn't remember that Gabe had spent most of the night asleep.

They didn't talk about it, about the (mis)adventure. Gabe stayed to himself, Mark to himself, and their paths didn't cross for over a week after that. It was an afternoon like any other, only Mark had gone back to Ohio for the season. Gabe had left too, he had heard, but they didn't fly out together and he was sure that that was the last he would hear about the captain from that side of the ocean. Mark had been laying lazily on his couch channel surfing when he had his first contact from Gabe. It was just a stupid one lined text, simple and to the point.

"What're you doing tonight?" It read. For a moment Mark wasn't sure how to answer. The truth was nothing-- absolutely and entirely nothing at all. Actually he was thinking about just throwing together a salad and then going right back to channel surfing. Maybe find a Carry Grant movie for shits and giggles. He typed in "nothing why?" and braced for the worst.

"Dinner?" came back really way too fast, and Mark groaned vocally, pushing his hands to his eyes. The last time the conversation went like that, Mark had taken a five-day tour of New Mexico. He was not going to get spirited away. The phone chimed again and it took a lot of will power for him to even open it. It was an address, probably wherever Gabe wanted to go. Mark lay back on the couch, scrolling the chat up and down with his thumb as he thought. He could say no, he could defuse the whole thing, but he and Gabe had done a good job of keeping their lives separate after the escapade. Mark was sure he didn't hate the other man as much as he had, and really he was excited to see the way Gabe lead a team. However, on the same hand, he didn't want preferential treatment just because he had gone on the trip with Gabe and not someone like Ryan or Shane.

"5?"

"6 Got reservations." And that was that. There was a dinner reservation with Gabe that he hadn't actually had a say in it after all. Mark dropped his phone down onto the couch, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He knew he was way too young to say he was getting too old for that sort of shit, but he was feeling it that day. Radio silence recommenced after that, Mark falling into his own lull of stressful anticipation. Around five he finally gave up trying to force himself to send Gabe a text bailing out.

Mark thought he had gotten there early, traffic lights obeyed and the directions easy. He sat in his car, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as Free Bird finished on the radio. It didn't give him a lot of confidence, but it was still something to take the edge of worry off. It was stupid, he conceded, that he would be nervous about having dinner with Gabe and god knew whom else. It wasn't like he didn't know the younger man, actually a lot more knowledgeable about him since their adventure, but for some reason seeing him again wore heavy on his mind. There was always the chance for a repeat, Gabe dragging him off again, but Mark had his own car, his own way back, and he had a job now. Gabe couldn't get him away without a heavy blow to his own conscious. Still there was just something about the way they parted and the way Gabe had shown up in Ohio just for a dinner that didn't feel right.

Gabe was already inside, phone raised and reading something. It wasn't a fancy place, bar and grill really, but it was a small table and Gabe was the only one there. Swallowing hard, Mark approached, shrugging off his coat and trying to look pleasant.

"Hey," he started, Gabe apparently just noticing he was there and clicking off his phone as he smiled up. It was a friendly greeting, real casual, just teammates and not travel companions, not war vets of the old battle of New Mexico. There weren't any crutches that Mark could see, and he figured they would have been obvious against the hardwood furniture. He sat down, pulling his chair up and lifting the menu. He wasn't reading it, however, just holding it like a flimsy barrier.

"How's the leg?" he asked, and Gabe was prompted to answer that it was good.

"Doc was kinda mad I was beating myself up when we're not even playing. Told him you beat me up and I got it running away.” Mark chuckled a little, and rolled his eyes, setting the menu back down. It was just like it had been. There wasn't any hostility after the whole ordeal and it seemed Gabe was feeling better after not getting anything for all their troubles.

"So you lied to him?"

"Pretty sure he knew I was lying. Best you can do is check. Fighting's way out of your league and usual MO, I guess. He said I was a pansy if you really did get me," That started another round of chuckles between them, no hard feelings for the comment. Mark wouldn't ever hurt someone not on the ice, and even then, actually hurting him would be entirely accidental. The waitress came over and took Mark's drink choice, water like Gabe, and they asked her to come back for their food.

"So, besides that, clean bill of health? No broken bones no torn anything?" Mark asked, looking over the menu and picking his dinner choice. He kept his eyes down, though, somehow finding that safer than looking at the other man. Gabe didn't seem to have the same problem because he almost never stopped looking at him. He almost never looked away from Mark's face.

"Nope, good, clean sprain. Pretty tough one, but nothing that wont heal, especially when I'm not skating." Mark smiled at the menu, actually glad to hear that. If Gabe got more seriously hurt, he probably wouldn't have been able to live with himself. He would have kept thinking that he should have made Gabe stop, made him give it up and go back to Denver without the whole adventure. A sprain they could both live with.

"Good." The silence settled again, but Mark thought it was worse than before. He had nothing to break it with, nothing that wasn't rude or assuming. Gabe had invited him out so there had to be a reason, something he needed or wanted, even if it was just to talk. No one flew to Ohio for shits and giggles. "So, uh, why'd you come out here? Going somewhere and just making a pit stop?"

"Naw, no trip. Just came out to see you." That was all Gabe had gotten out before the waitress returned to get their order. Mark was thankful for the break before, but the second time it was annoying. Gabe had flown from Denver to Ohio just to see him and that wasn't supposed to be strange? That wasn't supposed to be heavy after the week they had spent basically joined at the hip? They weren't friends, or at least hadn't been before the night Gabe got hurt and Mark gave up on getting away from him. Actually, Mark was still sure that they weren't friends, but there was a nagging thought in his head that Gabe didn't have any acquaintances. Everyone he met was probably a friend in some capacity.

"You have my number. Could have just called." Mark tried to cover the way his tongue felt tied, how just the idea of Gabe flying to see him when they weren't actually close made him nervous. Maybe Gabe was his friend, and Mark was just stubborn, too intent on not liking Gabe to give him a chance. "You know if you missed me that much that is." It was a stupid joke, definitely not worth the laugh he got out of Gabe. He tried to laugh as well but it fell flat and heavy from his lips.

"Can't do some stuff over the phone, Olvs. Maybe that's your problem." Mark didn't actually know what that meant, but there was no way he was going to ask. He just let Gabe talk, sitting back and resting his hands on his lap to hide the way he twiddled his thumbs nervously. Not for the first time he wished he had said no to the little date.

"I just want to check," Gabe said absently after taking a drink of water and settling back as well. "That, y'know, you're not pissed at me. I know you didn't want to get dragged along, and it was twice as bad after I stepped in that hole, and I'm sorry Olvs, really. But, guess I'm glad you did stay instead of taking over driving and taking me back."

"Even though you didn't get anything at the end?" The words were out before Mark even realized he was talking. It was supposed to be internal, just for him to lament and be annoyed over, but then it was out for the world. Gabe chuckled a little, and shrugged, not exactly what Mark expected as a reaction, but at the same time he wasn't entirely sure what to expect. It wasn't like Gabe would have gotten up and stormed off. For all his previous annoyance, Mark thought not for the first time that Gabe would be a good captain.

"Yeah, even so I guess. It was about the trip, right?" Well, no it wasn't, and the cliche crap needed to stop, but Mark just smiled and nodded, shrugging slightly. It wasn't about the trip, or about being followed. It wasn't about the crazy people they met at the bed and breakfast, and it wasn't about the cabin and the puzzle. It was about what they should have gotten for all their trouble, just like hockey. It was just like hockey except they had been perfect with everything and the prize had been taken before they even got there, by someone not even playing. He bit his tongue though, resting in silence until Gabe took the lead. 

There were actually a few minutes where they didn't speak, where Mark took to counting the lines in the table around his glass, and Gabe let himself look around, almost reaching for his phone before thinking better of it and folding his hands on the table. It seemed for all they had gone through, for the five days of just each other's company; they had no words for each other. Gabe did break it, but it was surprisingly quiet when he did, almost like he lost all energy and conviction to talk.

"You're not mad, are you?" Mark wasn't sure if he was or not. Sure he had had a few days right after when he was pretty annoyed, where he had to get his life oriented properly again without Gabe. Where he had to remember what silence and solitude felt like, but that had worn down. He had slept, recovered, got back into his schedule, and was back in Ohio where there was a routine and things to think of other than Gabe.

"No, not mad. I mean, I was, don't get me wrong. Was real pissed you dragged me along, but I guess it was okay. No one died, and I'm glad I could help you, because you would have been screwed without me." Mark wasn't an egoist, never really considered himself a pivotal piece in anything (something he had figured out the hard way back in college), but it was the truth in that instance. Gabe would have been lost in probably Texas or Wisconsin if it hadn't been for him. There was no argument, just Gabe's light laugh.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I was glad you came along." He paused, considering, before pushing on. "You know, I thought you were real weird, way too strict and intense. It was almost like you had no idea what fun was. Before the inn I was really wondering what the hell I was thinking asking you to come along. Glad I was proved wrong. You've got a stupid sense of humor, but at least it's there... a little." Mark actually lightened up at that, but he tried to look offended, almost mad that Gabe would say something like that. It might have been true, very observant actually, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"And I thought you were way too carefree, bullheaded even. At least I was right." Another shared laughter, and it did the trick finally to ease the awkwardness. Mark didn't want to admit, even to himself, how much separation anxiety he had felt being alone, but it was true. It felt good to have it back, Gabe back, and even better to have it in a smaller dose.

"One hundred percent right. Because, damn it, we were going to have some fun." Mark wouldn't have called it fun, but it just added to Gabe's strangeness. However, he was a great player, and a great face, and Mark was positive he had charmed much worse snakes than himself at some point. He felt he shouldn't be embarrassed at all to want, deep down, to consider Gabe a friend.

Their food came and there was a little silence as they started to eat, enjoying the meal. Gabe interrupted the silence smoothly, almost as if there hadn't been five minutes where they only shared looks and nothing more. His voice was easy and almost a little soft, but what he said wasn't really in conjunction with it.

"So, we're not weird or anything, right?" At first Mark didn't know what Gabe was saying. He was annoyed, yeah, had been more than that, but he figured by then they would be cool. It wasn't like they did anything questionable. When it came to travel stories it had actually been pretty tame. Then he thought about walking in (out?) and seeing Gabe bathing. Really, if that was what prompted the whole visit, Mark probably would give him a black eye to back up the story to the doctor. "I mean, look, you helped me out a lot with my leg, and thanks. Just, wanna say..."

"Are you asking if I did that because I'm in love with you or something?" Alright, sometimes Mark really hated his own tendency to be totally blunt, but if he was going to have to listen to Gabe ramble, then he wanted it to be nothing to do with the topic of feelings. Mark hit the nail on the head because Gabe stopped mid word and just gaped at Mark. To his credit, what the older man lacked in ability to have fun, he gained in his ability to be observant. "If so, then no. It's not weird." Gabe laughed, sat back looking a little relieved. He was still grinning, shaking his head as if to ward off the surprise.

"Alright, wow. That was fast and... and blunt." Mark chuckled as he drank some water as for once Gabe was caught speechless. "But, really, nothing? Nothing at all when you were rubbing my ankle? Taping up my knee?" Mark shrugged a little, glad the elephant in the room was being called out and they were handling it like adults.

"What can I say? Your ankle and knee aren't that hot." He ate as he spoke, putting some room between himself and the obviously way out of control topic. "Why, you like it?"

"Well yeah!" Gabe said almost a little audaciously at the idea that he, or mostly Mark, wouldn't have. "And I have totally sexy ankles and knees!" Now there was the prideful Gabe that Mark had hated since day one, but at that moment, with the whole strangeness of the situation, it was just funny. Knees and ankles weren't his fetish by a long shot, but hey, whatever floated Gabe's boat. "But really, nothing?"

"Not a thing."

"Good," Gabe said with a smile, turning to reach into his coat. He pulled out a long white coin envelope, opening it and dumping the contents into his hand. He reached across the table, holding it out to Mark, just a chain visible between his fingers. When it was in Mark's hand, he took a good look at it. It was a simple silver chain with a small ring on it. All in all it was very unimpressive, and after just a few seconds of fingering the ring, he looked questioningly at Gabe.

"And this is...?"

"The ring from the box. Well, half of it," Gabe stated, drinking and giving Mark his full attention. "Had the idea to give it to you since, y'know, you had to suffer five days with me... And three of which where I had a crush on you, so I'm pretty sure you earned it. Then I took it to a jeweler to see if there was a way to carve something in to it. Found out it was silver and, well, a three day crush doesn't make me want to give up silver, so I had him cut it in half and make rings out of both." Gabe reached into his shirt, pulling out a matching chain and small ring. It was very simple in design, nothing to write home about, but it was a memory of a stupid and accidental adventure. Maybe, Mark conceded, he could let a bit of cliché come into the thing. Maybe it was about the trip.

"Says 'New Mexico' on the inside. I know, lame, but that took me hours to pick, so shut up and be grateful." Mark laughed, turning it in his hand to try and catch the light to see the engraving. He wanted to make a comment about how he could have gotten the engraving on the outside, but the inside just seemed so much more... well, Mark conceded, for lack of a better word, sentimental. Mark decided to not make that comment.

"Well, guess I can't ask for more when I was just a three day crush. Thanks Gabe." More than one part of Mark wished he hadn't brought up the little emotional bonding. More than one part wished he'd stop bringing it up. All of him wished he'd stop thinking about which three days Gabe held a crush. "But you're still giving me a ring. Wonder what that says about you." Gabe laughed as Mark slid the chain over his head and let it dangle. He slipped it into his shirt, patting where it hung on his sternum as if showing Gabe that, yeah, that was right where it was.

"Guess it says I suck at heartbreak. But, then again, you accepted it, so what does it say about you?"

"That I suck at saying no." They laughed, both recognizing that that wasn't just about the ring. It had been the whole trip, the whole experience. Mark had said no many times, but he never followed through. He never put his foot down until Gabe's safety was at jeopardy, and then went right back to not being able to say no when Gabe texted him earlier that day.

"Well, let's work on getting you to say yes, eh?" Gabe said. Mark was smirking, shaking his head, but Gabe was persistent. He nodded to counter Mark's movement, all smiles the whole time. "Like this: Hey Mark, go on a proper date with me. Not one where we can die, and not one where you have to get back at a decent hour for practice in the morning." Mark's laugh was surprised and loud, looking at Gabe like he was crazy.

"What? No!" Gabe was laughing too, shrugging a little.

"Alright, we'll start smaller. Can I crash on your couch tonight?" Mark couldn't believe it, the crazy world he had got caught up with where Gabe was calling the shots. Not for the first time did Mark think he would probably kill the younger man when he was captain, but it felt better, easier to manage knowing they could be friends through it all.

"Fine, but you're making breakfast."


End file.
